The novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was written by Ken Kesey. The novel takes place in a mental institute. McMurphy is a man who tries to escape a work farm (prison) by saying he is not "straight in the head". McMurphy is sent to this mental institute to be examined. Here, McMurphy is the hero who sacrifice himself in order to teach others, the patients, to take control of there own lives. McMurphy is the good guy and Miss Ratched(or Big Nurse) is the bad guy. McMurphy influences the people of the ward to stick up for themselves. He does this by bringing women into their lives, and showing them how to be men and to act with confidence by sticking up for themselves. The movie portrays similar influences, but there are differences between the book and movie.The book is told through a (crazy)man named Chief Bromden who is also in this mental institute. He relays a story about life in a mental institute. Chief explains the severity and grouping of the different types of crazy people as well as who and how the institute is run. Mainly though, the story is about a new arrival to the institution, McMurphy. In the beginning, Chief Bromden talks about acutes and chronics. Acutes and chronics are types of mental illness. Acutes are people that have minor problems. They are basically normal people with a few screws loose. Chronics or "vegetables" are extremely messed up. Half of the chronics can't walk, eat, bath, think, or go to the bathroom by themselves. The other half are in their own world, talking and seeing things that aren't there.McMurphy comes to the institute and is questioned why he belongs there. He knows he doesn't belong, but he insists that he does. In the first few days that McMurphy is in the institute, he realizes that the Big Nurse runs everything. He also understands that everyone is scared of the Big Nurse. After he finds out the Big Nurse is in charge, he makes a bet for money, with the other pati...
